higgins



(No Model.)

J. J. HIGGINS.

2 Sheets-Sheet; 2.

CAMERA STAND. No. 353,856. Patented Dec. 7, 1886..

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. HIGGINS, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO E. 80 H. T. ANTHONY &00., OF SAME PLACE.

CAMERA-STAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 353,856, dated December7, 1886.

Application filed April 30, 1886.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN J. HIGGINS, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Camera-Stands,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theannexed drawings, forming a part thereof, in which Figure 1 is a frontelevation of a portion of a camera-stand embodying my improvement. IOFig. 2 is a vertical transverse section taken on line a: w in Fig. 1.Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a portion of a modified -formof'camerastand. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the camera-standlegs folded. Fig. 5 is aside ele- I5 vation, partly in section, showingthe three legs of the camera-stand folded and hooked together, partsbeing broken out. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the camera-stand top. Fig. 7is an inverted plan view of the camera stand top. Fig. Sis a plan viewof the camera-stand top folded. Fig. 9 is a transverse section taken online y y in Fig. 8.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thedifferent figures of the 2 5 drawings.

The object of thy-invention is to construct a simple, compact, and lightcamerastand which may be readily arranged for use and easily taken apartand compactly folded for transportation or storage.

My invention consists in a camera-stand top formed of two or more partshinged together, arranged to fold one upon the other and provided withleg-holding devices, and in the combination therewith of three or morelegs,

each consisting of an upper section formed of parallel bars connectedtogether by plates and provided at their upper ends with staples orright-angled hooks inserted in the ends of the parallel bars, and alower section pivoted between the lower ends of the parallel bars,carrying a springacted latch for holding the leg in an extendedposition, all as hereinafter.

more fully described.

The bars A, forming the upper portion of the leg of a camera-stand, areconnected together at their lower ends by the plates 00 a, and at ashort distance above the plate a by a plate, I), and above the plate 1),near their upper ends, by a plate, I), the several plates being securedto the edges of the bars by means Serial No. 200,664. (No model.)

of ordinary screws, or in any other convenient way. The distance betweenthe bars A is sutficient to permit of receiving between them the squareend 0 of the lower section, B, of the leg, which is pivoted on a rivetor screw, 01, extending transversely through the bars A in the sectionB.

In the upper end of the lower section, B, of the leg is formed atransverse slot, 0, in which 6: is pivoted a latch, f, on the pin 9. Theend of the section B is bored longitudinally to receive a spiral spring,h, which presses the shorter arm of the latch fupward. The end of theshorter arm of the latch is formed on a curve which is eccentric to thepin 9, and which automatically engages the inner surface of the plate awhen the leg is unfolded for use. The longer arm of the latch f projectsbeyond the surface of the leg in position to be easily operated.

In the upper ends of the bars A is inserted a staple, t, which projectsa short distance beyond the ends of the bars for receiving thereta'iningspringj, secured to the under surface 7 of the camerastand top0. The retainingspring j consists of 'a plate of spring metal providedwith the arm 70, secured to the under surface ot'the camera-stand top 0by means of ordinary screws, and with projections Z on opposite edgesthereof, for limiting the inward movement of the staple z. Thewidth ofthe free end of the retaining-spring j is about the same as that of thespace between the parallel ends of the right-angled staple i.

In the under surface of the camera stand top is formed a slot, m,arranged at right angles to the spring j, and located immediately infront of the projections Z. The slot in has a metallic lining, 0. Thelength of the slot m is about equal to the width of the staple i. Theedge of the camera-stand topis beveled on the under surface thereof,adjoining the free end of the retaining-spring j, to facilitate passingthe stapler under the retaining-spring 5 to theslot m, in which it isheld by the spring. The spring is re-enforced by the latch 19, which ispivoted at one edge of the spring and is notched to receive a screw, q,near the opposite edge of the retaining-spring. p is closed over theretaining spring j, after the staple t has been introduced between theThe latch 10o spring and the camera-stand top and received in the slotm.

The camerastand top 0 is preferably made of circular form, and isdivided into three parts, 1 2 3. The part 1 is connected with the part 2by means of ordinary butt-hinges, r. The part 3 is connected with thepart 2 by means of long butt-hinges s, which allow the part 3 to foldover the part 1, after part 1 has been folded upon part 2, as shown inFigs. 8 and 9. There are three retaining springs, j, upon the undersurface of the camera-stand top, arranged at three equally distantpoints in the periphery of the top, and the retaining-springs are sodisposed as to bring one of them on each of the sections 1 2 3, as shownin Fig. 7. Recesses t u are made on the central part, 2, for receivingthe screws and latch of the retaining-spring on the part 1, when thepart 1 is folded over upon part 2, and part 1 is provided with recesses13 u, for'receiving the fastening screws and latch of theretaining-spring on part 2, when the parts are folded together. Part 1is also provided with a mortise, c, for receiving the thumb-screw w,which projects through the mortise o of part 1, and into the mortise oin part 3. The thumb-screw w is apertured to receive a bolt, a, slidingin a radial hole in the camera-stand top, and serving to fasten the toptogether after it is folded. The bolt a is provided with a pin, 0',which projects through an oblong countersunk aperture in the top of thecamera-stand top for moving the bolt.

In the upper surface of the camera-stand top is formed ashallow circularrecess, d, in which is placed a cross-bar, 6, arranged to turn on theboss of a central plate, f, secured to the top by ordinary screws. Theends of the cross-bar e are provided with hooks g, which are oppositelyarranged with respect to each other, and are adapted to engage screws h,projecting from the parts 1 3, and

hold the parts of the camerastand top in an,

unfolded position. A stop-pin, L, projects from the part 2, for limitingthe movement of the cross-bar, and the hook g, at one end of thecross-bar, is provided with a notch, j, which engages a Wire spring, Z,secured to part 2, and provided with an angled end projecting into anaperture, It, in part 2, when the crossbar e is not in use.

The annular surface D of the camera-stand top is covered with plush orvelvet, or other suitable yielding material, to partially or whollyprevent the communication of the vibrations of the camera-stand top tothe camera supported thereby. When the camera-holding screw w isreceived in the mortises o *0, it is wholly contained by the folded top,and is therefore out of the way.

The manner in which the legs A B O of the cam era-stand are securedtogether is shown in Fig. 5. The back of the section B of the leg A isprovided with recesses mopposite the plates b a. The outer surface ofthe secright-angled hook, 12, near the opposite end,

The leg 0 is similarly provided with a recess, on, opposite the plate a,and with a hook, 71., near the opposite end, thehook n of the legB beingreceivedin the recess m of the leg 0 and brought into engagement withthe plate a. In a similar manner the hook at of theleg O is receivedinthe recess m of the leg B and engages the plate a of that leg.

When it is desired to widen the distance between the upper ends of thebars A, each bar is provided with'a right-angled hook, t, and thecamera-stand top 0 is provided with two'retaining-springs, j, andlatches p, and the plate 6 is replaced by a latch, b, which is pivotedto one of the bars A, and'engages a screw, 0, projecting from the otherbar, when the camera-stand top is folded for storage or transportation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, isi 1. A camera-stand top formed of two ormore parts hinged together at their adjacentedges and arranged to foldflatwise one upon the other, corresponding faces of the sections of thetop being folded inward, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination, with the camera-stand top having the circular recessd, and formed of parts hinged together and adapted to fold one upon theother, of a cross-bar, e, pivoted to the central part of the top, in therecess d, and arranged to hold the parts of the top in an unfoldedposition, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination, with the camera-stand serted in the parts 1 3, forreceiving the hinged ends of the cross-bar e, substantially as hereinshown and described.

4. The combination, with the pivoted crossbar 6', provided with a notch,j, of the spring Z, secured to the middle portion of the top and adaptedto engage the notch j, substantially as herein shown and described.

5. The combination, in a camera-stand top,

of the central part, 2, provided with the apertured camera-holding screww, the parts 1 3, arranged to fold upon the part2 and provided withmortises c o, and the bolt a, sliding in the part 3, adapted to enterthe aperture of the screw to and hold the several parts of the top intheir folded position, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. The combination, with the camera-stand top provided with the slots m,of the springs j and latches p, for receiving and holding the camerastand legs, substantially as herein shown and described.

7. The combination, with the camera-stand 5 top provided with the slotsat and beveled surfaces at the edges thereof, of the springs j andlatches p, for receiving and holding the camerastand legs, substantiallyas herein shown and described.

IO 8. The combination, with the camerastand top provided with themetal-lined slot m and beveled surfaces at the edges thereof, of thesprings j andlatchesp, for receiving and holding the camera-stand legs,substantially as 15 herein shown and described.

9. In a camera-stand, a leg formed of parallel bars A, provided withconnecting-plates a a b b, and the section B,-pivoted between the barsAand provided with a spring-acted latch,

20 f, for engaging the plate a, substantially as herein shown anddescribed.

10. In a camerastand, the combination,with the folding legs, of anautomatic or self-acting locking device adapted to lock the legs in ex-2 5 tended position by the act of opening the same,

as herein set forth.

11. The combination, with the bars A of a camera-stand top, of staplesor hooks inserted in the ends of the bars and adapted to be retained bysprings j on the camera-stand top, substantially as herein shown anddescribed.

12. In a'leg for camera-stands, the combination, with the bars A, of astaple, i, secured to the ends of the bars and adapted to be retained bythe spring j, substantially as herein shown 5 and described.

13. The combination, with the camera-stand top 0, provided with slots m,springs j, and latches p, of legs formed of bars A and provided withstaples i, substantially as herein shown and described.

14. A camera-stand top provided with a yielding covering for supportingthe camera and preventing the jarring of the camera-stand from beingcommunicated to the camera, sub- 45 stantially as described.

JOHN J. HIGGINS.

Witnesses:

EDGAR TATE, EDWD. M. CLARK.

